Tools, Sharpening and Power Machinery - Blade to cut plywood

I need a blade to cut 3/8" of plywood. Apparently the one I'm using is not working. It takes too long, has little teeth and I bent the first one. I don't know which one I'm using but I know it's for wood. Or...is that how slow it's supposed to be? I'm using a jigsaw.

Should I get one with more teeth?

One with more teeth will give you a smoother cut but slower..
A coarse blade will create more tearout, but will cut faster..
If this is a handheld jigsaw, put the good side of the wood down so the tearout will be on the rougher side..

:D Uh...so when I go to the hardware store or big box one, will it say "coarse" blade? I seriously don't want to stand there forever staring at the millions types they have. :D

Oh yeah, it's a handheld jigsaw. Now I know why it was doing that tearout thing! Thanks for the tip. ;)

Take an old blade with you to match up the mounting.. You'll be able to tell the difference between coarse and fine by looking at them.. Maybe get a set with different blades in it..

for what your doing get a circular saw . jigsaw is the wrong tool for the job

I was just going to say. If you're cutting the whole length of a piece of plywood it will take a while no matter what blade you use and the cut will look all crazy when you're done. Get, rent, or borrow a circular saw.

I have ways of getting a circular saw but those don't cut curves...right? Trust me...I was thinking of options! :D

depends on how tight a curve , Ive cut the curved sides of a boat out with a circular saw , just need to plan your cuts .

The tooth spacing is expressed as number of teeth per inch. More teeth per inch will make a smoother cut but will be slower.

To cut curves, you need a narrow blade. A wide blade will not let you turn the saw as you follow the curve.

Tear out will depend on whether the blade cuts on the up stroke or on the down stroke. Tear out for a down stroke blade will be on the bottom side of the wood. Tear out for an up stroke blade will be on the top side of the wood.

Thanks you guys. I'll try the circular saw when I get it. In the meanwhile, I'll try what you guys said and see how that goes.

Now I know why I bent my blade (thanks for the explanation Wirepuller 38).

I'll either just have to go slower or get a more narrow blade w/more teeth or not. I just haven't decided if I really should just go slow. I've got 7- 4x8's to cut.

I didn't have to buy a new blade :)

I had another blade that was narrow and had smaller teeth and it worked soooo much better. I must have been using the totally wrong blade. It cut so much smoother and it was actually faster.

Here's what I cut:

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u62/DIYaddict/ply.jpg

Don't mind or comment about the dead grass... :o

You did have the blade teeth facing the direction you were cutting, right? :D

[TowGuy running for cover as DIY's jigsaw goes sailing over his head]

Hmm, looks a little like something for a skateboard ramp....

[DIY throws her jig and it barely misses TG's head...rats!]

Uh...actually it WAS the wrong way :rolleyes: ha! Not really... :D

Skateboard ramp? I'm building a birdhouse!

A birdhouse which takes that much plywood will be for what species of bird?

I use Progressor jigsaw blades - very coarse - which will cut through 2x6's just a little slower than a circular saw. They are about 4-6 tpi as I recall. When I bend one, I let it cool off and bend it back wearing gloves on my hands.

You never heard of Big Bird from Seasame Street? :D

If you're bored, here's a thread about what I was building and the birdhuse joke:

http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?t=314725

It was just a joke. Sorry. It IS for a skateboard halfpipe.

Letting it cool off would be good. I've touched it hot and boy did I learn! I'm done cutting 8 of those pieces. ;)

Thanks for all the helps and tips guys. I couldn't wait for the circular saw and the jigsaw was good for me.